ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training convened at the Parliament House to address pressing issues related to degree attestation, plagiarism policy, and the role of private schools in accommodating underprivileged students. The meeting, chaired by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, saw the participation of Senators Syed Masroor Ahsan, Kamran Murtaza, Rahat Jamali, and Khalida Ateeb.

According to Senate of Pakistan, the committee reviewed the challenges faced by graduates from unauthorized campuses of PIMSAT, the University of South Asia, Lahore, and NICE, Karachi in obtaining degree attestation. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) informed the committee that out of approximately 6,000 affected students, 4,383 cases had been approved for consideration. An online facility has been introduced to expedite the attestation process, with a detailed report on degrees attested via this system to be submitted at the next meeting.

The committee also addressed the longstanding issue of non-attestation of degrees from Al-Khair University, criticizing HEC for delays. The committee recommended adopting the policy used for Global University, Lahore, and called for a comprehensive report within 10 to 15 days. Concerns were raised about the feasibility of requiring graduates to take exams years after completion.

HEC’s plagiarism policy was also scrutinized, noting a maximum allowable plagiarism limit of 19 percent, assessed using Turnitin software. The committee further reviewed the alleged paper leak in the Cambridge A-Level exams, urging swift investigation by relevant authorities.

The committee discussed the standards for private educational institutions, highlighting the lack of essential facilities such as playgrounds and libraries. Senator Butt criticized the practice of operating schools in residential houses and called for a review of registration criteria, emphasizing the need for quality educational facilities.

The meeting also touched upon the implementation of a policy requiring private schools to accommodate 10 percent of students from low-income backgrounds. Despite a legal obligation, many private schools have resisted compliance, with the issue currently under judicial review. The Chairperson underscored the importance of enforcing this policy to address the longstanding issue of out-of-school children in Pakistan.